Survival Tips For Small Businesses Essays - Entrepreneurship

Survival Tips For Small Businesses You may be in Mail Order, Direct Mail, or you may be a local merchant with 150 employees; whichever, however or whatever... you've got to know how to keep your business alive during economic recessions. Anytime the cash flow in a business, large or small, starts to tighten up, the money management of that business has to be run as a tight ship. Some of the things you can and should do include protecting yourself from expenditures made on sudden impulse. We've all bought merchandise or services we really didn't need simply because we were in the mood, or perhaps in response to the flamboyancy of the advertising or the persuasiveness of the salesperson. Then we sort of wake up a couple of days later and find that we've committed hundreds of dollars of business funds for an item or service that's not essential to the success of our own business, when really pressing items had been waiting for those dollars. If you are incorporated, you can eliminate these impulse purchases by including in your by-laws a clause that states: All purchasing decisions over (a certain amount) are contingent upon approval by the board of directors. This will force you to consider any impulse purchases of considerable cost, and may even be a reminder in the case of smaller purchases. If your business is a partnership, you can state, when faced with a buying decision, that all purchases are contingent upon the approval of a third party. In reality, the third party can be your partner, one of your department heads, or even one of your suppliers. If your business is a sole proprietorship, you don't have much to worry about really, because as an individual you have three days to think about your purchase, and then to nullify that purchase if you think you don't really need it or can't afford it. While you may think you cannot afford it, be sure that you don't short-change yourself on professional services. This would apply especially during a time of emergency. Anytime you commit yourself an d move ahead without completely investigating all the angles, and preparing yourself for all the contingencies that may arise, you're skating on thin ice. Regardless of the costs involved, it always pays off in the long run to seek out the advice of experienced professionals before embarking on a plan that could ruin you. As an example, an experienced business consultant can fill you in on the 1244 stock advantages. Getting eligibility for the 1244 stock category is a very simple process, but one with tremendous benefits to your business. The 1244 status encourages investors to put equity capital into your business because in the event of a loss, amounts up to the entire sum of the investment can be written off in the current year. Without the 1244 classification, any losses would have to be spread over several years, and this, of course, would greatly lessen the attractiveness of your company's stock. Any business owner who has not filed the 1244 corporation has in effect cut himse lf off from 90 percent of his prospective investors. Particularly when sales are down, you must be hard-nosed with people trying to sell you luxuries for your business. When business is booming, you undoubtedly will allow sales people to show you new models of equipment or a new line of supplies; but when your business is down, skip the entertaining frills and concentrate on the basics. Great care must be taken however, to maintain courtesy and allow these sellers to consider you a friend and call back at another time. Your company's books should reflect your way of thinking, and whoever maintains them should generate information according to your policies. Thus, you should hire an outside accountant or accounting firm to figure your return on your investment, as well as the turnover on your accounts receivable and inventory. Such an audit or survey should focus in depth on any or every item within your financial statement that merits special attention. In this way, you'll probably uncover any potential financial problems before they become readily apparent, and certainly before they could get out of hand. Many small

UN Human Development Index (HDI)

UN Human Development Index (HDI) The Human Development Index (commonly abbreviated HDI) is a summary of human development around the world and implies whether a country is developed, still developing, or underdeveloped based on factors such as life expectancy, education, literacy, gross domestic product per capita. The results of the HDI are published in the Human Development Report, which is commissioned by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and is written by scholars, those who study world development and members of the Human Development Report Office of the UNDP. According to the UNDP, human development is â€Å"about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests. People are the real wealth of nations. Development is thus about expanding the choices people have to lead lives that they value.† Human Development Index Background The main motivation for the Human Development Report itself was a focus on only real income per capita as the basis for a country’s development and prosperity. The UNDP claimed that economic prosperity as shown with real income per capita was not the only factor in measuring human development because these numbers do not necessarily mean a country’s people as a whole are better off. Thus, the first Human Development Report used the HDI and examined such concepts as health and life expectancy, education, and work and leisure time. The Human Development Index Today The second dimension measured in the HDI is a country’s overall knowledge level as measured by the adult literacy rate combined with the gross enrollment ratios of students in primary school through the university level. The third and final dimension in the HDI is a country’s standard of living. Those with higher standards of living rank higher than those with lower standards of living. This dimension is measured with the gross domestic product per capita in purchasing power parity terms, based on United States dollars. In order to accurately calculate each of these dimensions for the HDI, a separate index is calculated for each of them based on the raw data gathered during studies. The raw data is then put into a formula with minimum and maximum values to create an index. The HDI for each country is then calculated as an average of the three indices which include the life expectancy index, the gross enrollment index, and the gross domestic product. 2011 Human Development Report 2011 Human Development report 1) Norway2) Australia3) United States4) Netherlands5) Germany The category of â€Å"Very High Human Development includes places like Bahrain, Israel, Estonia, and Poland. Countries with â€Å"High Human Development† are next and include Armenia, the Ukraine, and Azerbaijan. There is a category called Medium Human Development which includes Jordan, Honduras, and South Africa. Finally, countries with â€Å"Low Human Development† include such places as Togo, Malawi, and Benin. Criticisms of the Human Development Index Despite these criticisms, the HDI continues to be used today and is important because it consistently draws the attention of governments, corporations, and international organizations to portions of development which focus on aspects other than income like health and education. To learn more about the Human Development Index, visit the United Nations Development Program website.

The translatability of poetic language Dissertation

The translatability of poetic language - Dissertation Example According to the research findings the ability to create specific expressions within literature is not only bound by the expectations of the author. There are also expressions which are reflective of social and political issues as well as the historical applications of the time. These become essential in defining the approach which is taken toward writing poetry and fiction. The expressions change in terms of the literary devices which are used as well as the way in which the literature is able to create and define the expressions and experiences throughout the piece. The difficulty which often arises in literature comes with the translations which are associated with literature and the way in which this becomes bound to the literary meanings. This is furthered by complexities from the translators, specifically because of the limitations in understanding the full expressions and meanings which are associated with literary devices and the way in which various words, phrases and overal l concepts are a part of the language. The problem which arises becomes based on the translators’ interpretations as well as the knowledge that is based around the original writing and literary devices which are used. Beginning to transform this particular aspect of literature then leads to different definitions and meaning behind the literature when translated. This research paper will define some of the common difficulties with translation and the ability to alter the meanings of various pieces of literature through the philosophies and interpretations of translators. Specifically, there will be an examination of the work of Hikmet and â€Å"The Epic of Sheikh Bedreddin.† This particular work was noted as one of the most controversial of the time, specifically because of the relationship to the revolution in Turkey and the social, cultural and political stigma which was surrounding the era. The author had direct relationships to the intent of the epic as well as the literary devices which were used throughout the epic to convey the various meanings and deeper understanding of the time frame (Wade, S, 2001).

The Social Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Social Media - Essay Example I support the view that ‘Social media is constructive’; it constructs relationships, it constructs one’s knowledge, and it is beneficial from personal to professional levels. Those who are in the habit of using social networking websites are more knowledgeable than ordinary people. Social networking websites, to be specific ‘Facebook’ which is the famous website used in the world, helps in cross-cultural communication, i.e. we communicate with people not only from different cities of our country but also with people all over the world. This communication helps to develop understanding of different cultures, lifestyles and opinions of people. During the communication different people share different experiences in the form of narratives and we in return share our experiences, this therefore leads to development of knowledge about experiences, cultures and people. One of the main roles that Facebook plays is that of reconnecting people and older acquaintances. This reconnection is so simple that a limited knowledge about the target person is enough to re-establish a relationship. There have been multiple incidents where departed relatives have met again only because of the social networking websites. In words of Browling (n.p), social networking websites provide a mean of reconnecting to the past. ‘Spread the word’ seems to be the major task of such websites. People create different communities and groups on Facebook. These groups can be any group based on any constructive idea promoting one common goal. Spreading the messages gets easier and faster through such websites. The examples are endless from all the corners of society, be it personal or professional. The point is clear that social media is more than a technology. It is a sub-culture adopted by the people around the globe. To conclude it can be said that this

Ending the Employment Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Ending the Employment Relationship - Essay Example iticizing organizations and more importantly this results in the increased turnover rate as employees get demoralized and they get some idea about the up coming in almost every organization they work, retirement is an honorable work, the worker respectfully gets retirement from work and it is also a good sign as if the retirement would not have taken place than the employment cycle would have been disturbed and there would be no new blood in old organization that would have appeared. "Currently Nepal Bank employs 6,600 people, more than one-third of all those working in the Nepalese financial sector. In 1990 the bank reduced its workforce by 800 people. This was achieved by a combination of voluntary redundancy and early retirement fostered by a generous incentive" (Budhwar, 98: 2001). In the present casIn the present case it is very clear that the main cause for redundancy and retirement is the willingness of the organization to get compressed so that all the operations can be handled easily, but can organization work more effectively this way Can organization retain the same value or can increase it The above mentioned are few questions that bring in relation both the employers and employees, these are few serious matters that we have to discuss, it is really unfair with the country to control it this way, on second thought it is also very difficult for the organization to adjust with out people who were previously working for the betterment of the organization. In the current world women are working more in the society than men, there are good reasons though for eliminating the women from the employment but yet it is unethical, there are being eliminated due to the facts such as they are unable to work with full concentration after marriage and at times they are retired prematurely, in order to get the work done by some new fresh graduate, which is having both positive points to be discussed and negative as well, positive in terms of giving youth a chance to prove itself and negative because of an unfair decision of firing someone if not directly than indirectly through retirement. Few causes of Redundancy Martin has defined redundancy in 2000 as "the work for which the employee was employed has ceased or diminished. Here the selection of a particular individual has to be shown to be fair". It shows that the entire process starts from the time the employee is recruited, though it is a long procedure and the organization tries to be as fair as they can in selecting employees, but there is no guarantee that the employee would keep the job, so from this view the redundancy threat starts taking place in the mind of the employee, only a strong bond with the organization can keep

MGMT Methylation Status and Glioblastoma Multiforme Outcome

MGMT Methylation Status and Glioblastoma Multiforme Outcome ABSTRACT Background: O6 – methylguanine-methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation has been associated with increased survival among patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) who were treated with various alkylating agents. We examined the relationship between MGMT methylation status and clinical outcome in newly diagnosed GBM patients treated with BCNU wafers (Gliadel ®). Methods: MGMT promoter methylation in DNA from 122 newly diagnosed GBM patients treated with Gliadel was determined by a Quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction assay (QMSP) and correlated with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Results: The MGMT promoter was methylated in 40 (32.7%) of 122 patients. Overall median survival was 13.5 months (95%CI: 11.0-14.5) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 9.4 months (95%CI: 7.8-10.2). After adjusting for age, KPS, extent of resection, temozolomide (TMZ) and radiation therapy (RT), newly diagnosed GBM patients with MGMT methylation who were treated with Gliadel had a 15% reduction in hazard of death compared to patients with unmethylated MGMT (Hazard ratio: 0.85, 95%CI: 0.56-1.31). Patients aged over 70 with MGMT methylation and treated with Gliadel had a significantly longer median survival of 13.5 months compared to 7.6 months in patients with unmethylated MGMT (p=0.027). A similar significant difference was also found in older patients with a median recurrence-free survival of 13.1 versus 7.6 months (p=0.01) for MGMT methylated and unmethylated, respectively. Conclusions: Methylation of the MGMT promoter in newly diagnosed GBM patients who were treated with Gliadel followed by RT and TMZ, was associated with significantly improved survival compared to the non-methylated patient population with similar treatment. For the elderly population, methylation of the MGMT promoter was associated with significantly better OS and RFS. INTRODUCTION Glioblastome multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor, with a median survival of less than two years [1]. To date, only two different alkylating agents have been shown to be consistently associated with prolonged survival – temozolomide (TMZ) and the locally delivered BCNU wafers (Gliadel) [1-3]. Gliadel wafers (Eisai Inc. for Arbor Pharmaceuticals, LLC) are implanted and locally deliver Carmustine (also known as (1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1- nitrosourea (BCNU)) at the site of tumor resection, allowing for a higher concentration of local chemotherapeutic doses while minimizing systemic adverse effects [2-4]. These wafers provide a controlled- release form of local chemotherapy for approximately 3 weeks [4, 5]. Methylation of the MGMT promoter in gliomas was found to be an important predictor of the tumor responsiveness after several cytotoxic regimens [6], including BCNU treatment [7]. It was found that expression of the DNA repair protein, O6 – methylguanine-methyltransferase (MGMT), results in GBM resistance to alkylating agents. Alkylating agents cause cell death by binding to DNA, most commonly to the O6 position of guanine, and forms cross-links between adjacent DNA strands. This cross-linking of double strand DNA is inhibited by the cellular DNA-repair protein MGMT. In this study, through a unique analysis of 122 patients with newly diagnosed GBM who were treated with Gliadel, we retrospectively examined the association between MGMT promoter methylation status and survival. METHODS Patients and Tumor Specimens We retrospectively reviewed 185 patients with newly diagnosed GBM who received Gliadel after tumor resection, at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA, between July 1997 and December 2006. Of these patients, only 122 patients had stored samples that were available for MGMT analysis. The clinical, radiological and hospital course of these patients were retrospectively reviewed. Age and gender were recorded, as well as Karnofsky performance score (KPS) at time of diagnosis, tumor location, time to recurrence and dates of death were recorded. Overall survival (OS) was calculated from the time of surgery to death, and recurrence free survival (RFS) was calculated from the time of surgery to time of recurrence or censored at the last time of follow-up. GBM was histologically confirmed in all cases. Extent of surgical resection was determined based on a postoperative MRI performed Treatment Algorithm Gliadel wafers were typically not implanted in patients after tumor resection when the tumor largely extended into the ventricles or was multifocal. DNA Extraction After initial patient de-identification, all original histologic slides from the GBM specimens were reviewed to reconfirm the diagnosis of GBM by a senior neuropathologist (PB). A representative block with tumor was retrieved for DNA extraction. Histologic slides from the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue were obtained. One representative slide was stained with HE and the tumor was marked by the senior neuropathologist (PB). An additional five correlating unstained 10 micron slides were also obtained. The tumor cells in the unstained slides were microdissected according to the marked HE stained reference slide. DNA was extracted from paraffin embedded tissue after xylene deparaffinization. The microdissected tissue was digested with 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 200ug/mL proteinase K (Roche, Nutley, NJ) at 48 °C for 48 hours, followed by phenol/chloroform extraction and ethanol precipitation of DNA. Extracted DNA was dissolved in either LoTE (2.5 mM EDTA, 10 mM Trisâ⠂¬â€œHCl [pH 8]) or distilled water. Bisulfite Treatment Extracted DNA was subjected to bisulfite treatment, to convert unmethylated cytosine residues to uracil residues. Briefly, 2  µg genomic DNA from each sample was treated with bisulfite using the EpiTect Bisulfite kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Converted DNA was stored at -80oC. Methylation Analysis Bisulfite-modified DNA was used as a template for fluorescence-based real-time PCR. Amplification reactions were carried out in triplicate in a final volume of 20  µL that contained 3  µL bisulfite-modified DNA; 600 nmol/L concentrations of forward and reverse primers; 200 nmol/L probe; 0.6 units platinum Taq polymerase (Invitrogen); 200  µmol/L concentrations each of dATP, dCTP, dGTP, and dTTP; and 6.7 mmol/L MgCl2. Primers and probes were designed to specifically amplify the promoter of MGMT and the promoter of a reference gene, ACTIN B; primer and probe sequences and annealing temperatures are provided in Table 1. Amplifications were carried out using the following profile: 95 °C for 3 min followed by 50 cycles at 95 °C for 15 s and 60 °C for 1 min. Amplification reactions were carried out in 384-well plates in a 7900 sequence detector (Perkin-Elmer Applied Biosystems) and analyzed by a sequence detector system (SDS 2.2.1; Applied Biosystems). Each plate included patie nt DNA samples, positive controls (Bisulfite-converted Universal Methylated Human DNAStandards (Zymo Research) in serial dilutions 20ng to 2pg) and molecular grade water was used as a non-template control. The ÃŽ ²-actin gene was used to normalize and act as an internal loading control. The methylation ratio was the ratio of values for the gene-specific PCR products to those of the ACTIN B and then multiplied by 1,000 for more efficient tabulation. Statistical Methods The overall survival (OS) time was defined from the date of initial diagnosis of the disease (surgery) to the time of death or censored at the time last known alive. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) was counted from the date of initial diagnosis of the disease to the time of disease recurrence or censored at the time last known alive and recurrence-free. Probabilities of OS and RFS were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier (KM) method [15] and compared using Log-rank test. Confidence intervals were calculated using the method of Brookmeyer and Crowley[14]. Cox proportional hazards model [16] was used to estimate the association between OS or RFS and MGMT methylation status, treatments and well known prognostic factors. Schoenfeld residuals were used to test the proportionality of factors in Cox proportional hazards models. Radiation status was treated as a stratification factor in the Cox regression model. TMZ has FDA approval for newly diagnosed GBM patients aged between 18-70. Subgro up analyses were performed for patients who were aged over 70. All p values were two-sided. All analyses were performed using the Statistical Analysis System, version 9.2. MGMT was considered as promoter methylated if the methylation ratio was higher than 8, and unmethylated if below 8. RESULTS Patient Population Six hundred patients with newly diagnosed GBM underwent craniotomy between 1997 and 2006, at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. One hundred eighty five patients received Gliadel (30.8%) after tumor resection. Methylation specific PCR was performed in 122 of the 185 patients (66%) because 63 patients did not have sufficient paraffin embedded tumor tissue for MGMT analysis. The characteristics of the patients and type of treatments are shown in Table 2. The clinical course of forty patients who had methylation of MGMT promoter was compared to 82 patients without promoter methylation of MGMT. The similarity of distributions among patients characteristics, and treatments between MGMT methylated and unmethylated is also shown in Table 2. There was a slightly male predominance in both groups. The median age of the MGMT methylated group was 65.5 years compared to 60.5 years in the non-MGMT methylated group (p=0.59). Most of the patients in both groups had KPS score of ≠¤ 80 (p=0.67). Most of the patients in both groups underwent gross total resection (GTR) (85% vs. 74% in the methylated and non-MGMT methylated group, respectively), (p=0.19). Most of the patients in the MGMT methylated and non-MGMT methylated groups received post-operative radiation therapy (RT) (80% and 72% respectively). However, there were 31 patients (25%) without radiation treatment recorded in their medical chart. Only 33% and 29% of MGMT methylated and non-MGMT patients, respectively, were treated with TMZ due to majority of patients was treated prior to 2005 when RT+ TMZ became the stadnadrd of care for the newly diagnosed GBM patients. Overall Survival The Kaplan-Meier estimate of the median OS for the122 patients with newly diagnosed GBM was 13.5 months (95% CI: 11.0, 14.5). Median OS for those with MGMT methylation was 13.9 months (95%CI: 9.5, 17.1) compared to 12.9 months (95%CI: 10.9, 14.5) (p= 0.86) in patients non methylated. Univariate and multivariate association of survival with treatment factor, baseline prognostic factors, and MGMT methylation status are shown in Table 3. There was a 15% reduction in hazard of death (Hazard ratio: 0.85, 95%CI: 0.56-1.31) for patients with MGMT methylated tumor compared to those with MGMT unmethylated tumor after adjusting for age, KPS, extent of resection, TMZ and RT. A subgroup analysis was performed among 35 patients who were 18-70 years old and treated with Gliadel, RT and TMZ ( Gliadel+ Stupp’s regimen) [1]. The median OS was 19.8 months (95% CI, 14.5, 22.2) in this subset of patients. There was no statistically significant difference in OS among these 35 patients with MGMT pr omoter methylation (median OS:20 months,95% CI: 9.2, 37.0), compared to patients without MGMT promoter methylation (median OS: 18.9 months, 95% CI: 11.9, 22.2), (Table 4). Only two out of 30 elderly patients aged above 70 years were treated with TMZ, one was MGMT methylated and another was not. Among these elderly patients, those with MGMT promoter methylation showed a significantly longer median survival of 13.5 months (95% CI, 0.49, 17.1) compared to 7.6 months (95% CI, 2.9, 9.4) when the MGMT promoter was non-methylated (p=0.027). A similar significant difference in median recurrence-free survival was also found in elderly patients where the median survival was 13.1 versus 7.6 months (p=0.01) for MGMT methylated and unmethylated, respectively. The overall median recurrence-free survival was 9.4 months (95%CI: 7.8-10.2) for all patients. There was no difference in RFS between patients 18-70 years old with and without MGMT methylation. DISCUSSION In this study we investigated the significance of MGMT methylation status in a series of 122 patients with newly diagnosed GBM who underwent surgical resection and implantation of Gliadel wafers. The results of our series show a reduction in hazard of death for patients who were MGMT methylated compared to non-methylated. Interestingly, this effect was much more profound in the elderly group of 35 patients who were older than 70 years old when they were diagnosed with GBM. Elderly patients who were MGMT methylated had significantly better OS, compared to non-methylated (13.5 vs. 7.6 months respectively, p=0.027). The methylation of the MGMT promoter region leads to a reduced ability to repair DNA damage induced by alkylating chemotherapeutic agents [7]. Methylation of the MGMT promoter was found to be associated with responsiveness to alkylating chemotherapeutic agents such as temozolomide [6] and BCNU [7], and an increase in OS and progression free survival. The median survival of patients who received the combination of Gliadel, temozolomide and radiation therapy in our cohort ranged between 18.9 to 20 months, six months greater than that for the radiation therapy and temozolomide historic cohort [1] (Figure1). For patients younger than 70 years old, the median survival of the MGMT methylated sub-group was slightly greater that MGMT non-methylated. KPS in a known prognostic factor for patients with brain tumors [8]. Most of the patients in our study cohort had poor KPS of less than 80. Still, our results were in line with the report of Lechapt-Zalcman et al. [9] who assessed the prognostic impact of MGMT promoter methylation in patients with newly diagnosed GBM that received Gliadel in addition to radiation therapy and temozolomide. The OS of their study cohort was 17.5 months. Patients with MGMT methylation had a significantly longer OS of 21.7 months compared with patients without MGMT methylation who had OS of 15.1 months. Two recent phase III clinical trials in the elderly age of patients with malignant astrocytoma, the NOA-08 [10] and Nordic trials [11], demonstrated that temozolomide therapy alone was not inferior to radiotherapy alone, and methylation of the MGMT gene promoter was associated with a benefit from temozolomide. However, there is a concern that combination therapy of radiation therapy and temozolomide may be less active and less well tolerated in the elderly population [12]. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)-26981/National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) CE3 trial have suggested that with increasing age, the relative benefit of addition of temozolomide to radiotherapy decreases and the patients suffer from increased chemotherapy-associated side effect such as neutropenia, lymphocytopenia, thrombocytopenia , raised liver-enzyme concentrations infections and thromboembolic events. As opposed to systemic chemotherapy with its limitations, local delivery of Gliadel wafers may be promising in this subset of patients. Chaichana et al. compared 45 elderly patients who were treated with Gliadel to 88 elderly patients who did not receive Gliadel [13]. The survival for older patients who received Gliadel was significantly longer than for patients who did not receive Gliadel (8.7 months vs. 5.5 months respectively, p=0.007). The median survival of MGMT methylated in elderly patients in the current cohort was doubled. These results may support the use of Gliadel in this sub-population. Limitations There are several limitations to this study. Its retrospective nature carries a potential bias. Moreover, the time period of this study ended in 2006, only one year after temozolomide became the standard of care in the treatment of GBM, thus most of the patients were not treated with the combination of temozolomide and radiation therapy. Furthermore, because this is a tertiary referral center, there is a bulk of patients who were operated in this center, but received further neuro-oncology treatments elsewhere, near their home, and therefore, their complementary oncology treatment is not available. Still, this large and unique cohort of patients with newly diagnosed GBM who were operated in one tertiary center provide novel data that may assist in optimizing and personalizing the treatment for GBM patients.

The Digestive and Urinary Systems :: essays research papers

Digestive and Urinary System Lesson 1: The Digestive System Terms: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Digestion: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Absorption: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elimination:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mastication: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Peristalsis: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gastric Juices: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bile: Functions of the Digestive System: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Digestion, Absorption, and Elimination. q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Digestion occurs in the digestive tract which includes: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mouth: Mastication occurs and enzymes produced by salivary glands starts digesting carbohydrates. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Esophagus: 10 in. long and extends from the pharynx to the stomach. Food moves down the esophagus by the peristalsis. The sphincter, a circular muscle at the entrance of the stomach opens and closes to allow food to enter the stomach. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stomach: Holds about 1qt of food for 3-4 hours and controls the rate at which it enters the small intestine. It also produces Chyme and Gastric Juices. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Small Intestine: 20ft (6m) long, 1in (2.5cm) in diameter. Consist of 3 parts the duodenum, the jejunum, and the ileum. Intestinal juice, secretions from the liver and pancreas complete chemical breakdown. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Large Intestine (Colon): 2.5in (6cm) in diameter and 5-6ft (1.5-1.8m) long. The main function of the large intestine is the elimination of waste and the absorption of water. The water is absorbed into the bloodstream Other Organs that aid Digestion q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The liver, gallbladder, and pancreas are essential for the digestion of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Liver: the largest gland in the body q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Weighs about 3.5 lbs. q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dark reddish brown color q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over 500 functions q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Produces bile q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Converts sugar glucose to glycogen and stores it q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maintains level of glucose in the blood q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Changes harmful to less harmful toxins q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stores vitamin A, D, E, K, B12, and Iron 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gallbladder: Small sac about 3-4 in. (7-10cm) long q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stores bile until food moves from the stomach into the duodenum of the small intestine. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pancreas: a gland of the digestive and endocrine system. q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Produces insulin q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Produces 3 digestive enzymes: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  trypsin: digest protein 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  amylase: digest carbohydrates 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  lipase: digest fats q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These enzymes are released into the small intestines through ducts. Lesson 2: Problems and care of the Digestive Systems Terms: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Indigestion: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hiatal hernia: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gallstones: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Peptic ulcers: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gastritis: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Appendicitis: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hepatitis: Common Functional Problems: q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Halitosis: (bad breath), can result from disorders of the teeth and gums caused from poor oral health care. q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Indigestion: occurs when your body doesn’t properly breakdown foods. This can be caused by eating too much ,eating too fast, or by indulging in an excess of alcohol. q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heartburn: occurs when acid content from the stomach backs up into the esophagus. If a person has hiatal hernia they may experience heartburn. q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gas: a certain amount of gas in the stomach or intestine is normal but some foods can cause an excess of gas. q  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nausea and Vomiting: this can be caused by motion, pathogens, medicines, drugs, and other substances in the stomach. Nausea precedes vomiting. Vomiting is reverse peristalsis.

Personal Statement For University Essay

My intended major is Economics. My main interest in Economics lies in the field of macroeconomics and the principles that are involved. Macroeconomics has a way of showing how different policies are intertwined; such has policies in Healthcare regarding retirement benefits to how the world’s interest rate plays a role in our daily banking activities. When I graduated from kindergarten, I lived in Shanghai for a while because of my father’s job. At that time, of course I could not speak Chinese so I faced language barrier. However, I had such as experience so I have been interested in Chinese and other countries’ culture from my parents’ influence. I started to learn English, French (when I was junior high school student) and Chinese (when I was high school student) and I went to classroom which is for studying Japanese for foreigner country children to assist. To be interested in learning foreign languages lead me to be interested in foreign countries’ culture and also I felt strongly interested in economics such as what my country economy is, how economic growth is going on in the world, if America economics situation changed, how it influenced to the world and so on with age. From that I started to be interested in activities of international authorization and it led me to be interested in the United Nations. On 12 May, 2008 Sichuan earthquake made me focus on world economics more than before. The earthquake killed many children. I had strong impact when I watched on TV. Some parents said â€Å"My child died because of school building is an old! Children who are rich could go good quality building school so they could survive! This is not a Natural disaster! This is Man-made disaster! †. Some of children â€Å"I want to say thank you to my school to save my life†. It told the gap between rich people and poor people. I had very big mistake thinking that in China’s economy is growing up very much so I thought the gap between rich and poor is going to disappear. I want to remove this gap so I want to study about world economics and I want to work for United Nation. I am not a greedy or selfish person. I am driven, straightforward and ambitious. I know what I want to be in life and I know how to get what I want. I too have come to love consumerist America and all the creature comforts that it promises to those who can afford them. While I have no intention of becoming a Donald Trump, I do wish for a comfortable life for myself and my family. To be able to provide for my family and to ensure that my children will also have the same opportunities to succeed in life as I have by getting a good education at not only the college level but a Masters degree as well in their chosen professions.

Definition and Examples of Relative Pronouns in English

Definition and Examples of Relative Pronouns in English In English grammar, a relative pronoun is a  pronoun that introduces an adjective clause (also called a relative clause).   The standard relative pronouns in English are which, that, who, whom, and whose. Who and whom refer only to people. Which refers to things, qualities, and ideas- never to people. That and whose refer to people, things, qualities, and ideas. Examples and Observations One of the smaller girls did a kind of puppet dance while her fellow clowns laughed at her. But the tall one, who was almost a woman, said something very quietly, which I couldnt hear. (Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969)Spaghetti at her table, which was offered at least three times a week, was a mysterious red, white, and brown concoction. (Maya Angelou, Mom Me Mom, 2013)Wilbur was what farmers call a spring pig, which simply means that he was born in springtime.(E.B. White, Charlottes Web, 1952)On the plus side, death is one of the few things that can be done just as easily lying down. (Woody Allen, The Early Essays. Without Feathers, 1975)An atheist is a man who has no invisible means of support.(attributed to John Buchan)[T]o hurt innocent people whom I knew many years ago in order to save myself is, to me, inhuman and indecent and dishonorable. I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this years fashions.(Lillian Hellman, letter to the chair of the U.S. House Committee on Un-American Activities, May 19, 1952) He was a Frenchman, a melancholy-looking man. He had the appearance of one who has searched for the leak in lifes gas-pipe with a lighted candle; of one whom the clenched fist of Fate has smitten beneath the temperamental third waistcoat-button.(P. G. Wodehouse, The Man Who Disliked Cats)The people who had it hardest during the first few months were young couples, many of whom had married just before the evacuation began, in order not to be separated and sent to different camps. . . . All they had to use for room dividers were those army blankets, two of which were barely enough to keep one person warm. They argued over whose blanket should be sacrificed and later argued about noise at night.(Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston, Farewell to Manzanar, 1973)In the office in which I work there are five people of whom I am afraid.(Joseph Heller, Something Happened, 1974)Never play cards with a man called Doc. Never eat at a place called Moms. Never sleep with a woman whose trou bles are worse than your own.(Nelson Algren, quoted in Newsweek, July 2, 1956) Franz Ferdinand would have gone from Sarajevo untouched had it not been for the actions of his staff, who by blunder after blunder contrived that his car should be slowed down and that he should be presented as a stationary target in front of Princip, the one conspirator of real and mature deliberation, who had finished his cup of coffee and was walking back through the streets, aghast at the failure of himself and his friends, which would expose the country to terrible punishment without having inflicted any loss on authority.(Rebecca West, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey Through Yugoslavia. Viking, 1941) That and Which in American English Interestingly enough, American usage manuals and US editorial practice for almost a century now have been based on the fiction that a clear functional separation between that and which should exist- which is either an interesting case of a collective illusion taking hold among educated members of a speech community or a  modern-day revival of the 18th-century impulse to bring natural language into line with logic and thus remove its perceived defects. Whatever its motivation, prescriptive teaching, in this case, has not been without effect: a comparison between British and American databases . . . shows restrictive which to be seriously under-represented in American English in comparison to British English.(Geoffrey Leech, Marianne Hundt, Christian Mair, and Nicholas Smith, Change in Contemporary English: A Grammatical Study. Cambridge University Press, 2012) Who, Which, That, and the Zero Relativizer Three relative pronouns stand out as being particularly common in English: who, which, and that. The zero relativizer [or dropped relative pronoun] is also relatively common. However, . . . the relative pronouns are used in very different ways across registers. For example: In general, the relative pronouns that begin with the letters wh- are considered to be more literate. In contrast, the pronoun that and the zero relativizer have a more colloquial flavor and are preferred in conversation.(Douglas Biber, Susan Conrad, and Geoffrey Leech, Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Pearson, 2002) That and zero are the preferred choices in conversation, although relative clauses are generally rare in that register.Fiction is similar to conversation in its preference for that.In contrast, news shows a much stronger preference for which and who, and academic prose strongly prefers which.

The Biggest Mistake Youll Ever Make as a Childrens Author

The Biggest Mistake Youll Ever Make as a Childrens Author Every so often, a friend will hand me a childrens book manuscript and ask if I would review it and offer an honest opinion. Im always delighted to do so, but, over the years, Ive discovered that almost every one of those potential book projects suffers from a critical and quite frequent mistake. When I ask them about it, they will often hang their head and sheepishly admit that, yes, they are guilty of breaking this rule: If you are going to be a successful childrens author, you MUST read childrens books on a regular basis! Interestingly, many novice writers think that just because theyve raised some children or read a book to their grandchildren, they are ready to write their own childrens book. Unfortunately, that alone does not adequately prepare one for writing juvenile literature. Prospective authors need to soak themselves in the culture of childrens literature, regularly! They need to know the language, the themes, the concepts, the tenor, and the presentation of childrens literature. And, the ONLY way to do that is to read childrens books on a regular basisevery dayevery weekevery month. If you are not reading childrens books, then you are putting yourself at a severe disadvantage in the marketplace. The books you read as a child are not the same books kids read today. Todays books have a certain flavor, spark, and presentation. You need to experience that unique culture if you are to write equally compelling and engaging books. Reading current childrens literature on a regular basis has enormous benefits for you as a beginning childrens author. Â  Here are a few: 1) Introduces you to a wide range of authorial styles. If you want to get a sense of what good writing is all about, you need to sample many different kinds of writing the good, the bad (and the ugly). In so doing, you are getting a full picture of what writers can do (or, what they are unable to do) in terms of characters, conflicts, and settings. 2) Shows you language patterns that resonate with readers. When you read the stories and books of other authors, you can get a sense of the language appropriate for different age groups. Youll also immerse yourself in the semantics and syntax of different genres. 3) Gives you the opportunity to compare good stories with bad stories. To know good books you need to experience bad ones. The bad books give you a frame of reference necessary to your compositional efforts. That diversity is essential to your writing success. 4) Allows you to see how different authors handle similar themes. If you want to write childrens books you have to read childrens books! One without the other is like vacationing in Maui without going to the beach. Its only half-done! Read, and keep reading, lots of childrens books. and you will notice a decided improvement in your own ability to craft stories for a new generation of readers.

Critical analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Critical analysis - Coursework Example Conversely, Mahtani (2014) implemented qualitative methods by organizing and executing interview sessions among the women to get the status of ideal of progress after multiculturalism. The reading of McNeil (2010) provides information regarding the perspective of Negro, wherein they believe that they were being hindered to perform their work and they were being dominated due to dark complexity due to the effect of multiculturalism. Conversely, the reading of Mahtani (2014) reveals about the collaboration of multiracialism and ideal of progress. It can be said that McNeil (2010) multiculturalism leads to black people’s personal and social growth and development, if Canadian people have mutual relationship with the Negros. Whereas, Mahtani (2014) illustration is positive towards effectiveness of ideal of progress through multiculturalism but progress also builds through genetic behavior and surroundings of the society. In the study of McNeil (2010) and Mahtani (2014), I faced issues regarding not getting proper consecutive data and information in relation to research as illustrated in articles of both the authors. Conversely, related examples in relation to subject matter made it easier to understand. I analyzed from the study of article of McNeil (2010) and Mahtani (2014) that both the authors emphasizes on the effectiveness of multiculturalism but McNeil (2010) describes about negative believe by Negro people that multiculturalism would affect their social life, culture and religion to great extent. Whereas Mahtani (2014) describes that multicultural will leads to people growth and development which is an ideal of progress of society and country. Racial discrimination is an issue that causes multiculturalism due to various aspects causing several issues in the society. There are various questions, which arises in the mind after examining and analyzing both authors illustrated articles. In

Limited Liability Company in Qatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Limited Liability Company in Qatar - Essay Example An LLC implies that the company has not more than fifty and not less than two partners (Commercial Companies Law, 2002). The partners are not answerable for anything other than their individual shares in the company’s capital and their shares do not represent transferable cheques. LLC is the most common form of business organisations in Qatar (â€Å"Business Setup in Qatar†, 2008). 1.1. Limitations and Rules Enforced on LLC Companies 1.1.1. Partners and shares Basically, LLCs do not have any issued shares (Silkenat, Aresty and Klosek, 2009). It is imperative that an LLC should have one or more partners who are Qatari nationals with not less than 51% share in the company capital. Moreover, it is not necessary that the profit share of the partners reflects their equity stake. Foreign companies that are wishing to establish a joint venture in Qatar with a Qatari partner generally opt for an LLC. As mentioned earlier, an LLC needs to have two to fifty shareholders or partne rs and the minimum capital to be raised for such a venture is QAR 200,000 (Silkenat, Aresty and Klosek, 2009). ... Moreover, transferable bonds and shares (negotiable shares) cannot be issued and around 10% of the annual net profits of the company should be retained within the company till the reserve capital is 50% of the share capital of the company (Silkenat, Aresty and Klosek, 2009). The company capital is to be divided into equal units of more than QAR 1000 each (Dew, Shoult and Wallace, 2002). It is illegal for LLC companies to offer banking and insurance services as well as advice about insurance and other such services to other parties. The profit percentage of LLC companies can be increased through means such as weighted dividend rights (Silkenat, Aresty and Klosek, 2009). 1.1.3. Tax liabilities LLCs in Qatar have to submit an annual tax return and are required to pay corporate income tax. They are liable to pay 10% of their profits made from Qatar. If their annual profits are more than QAR 100,000, they are required to declare this along with their audited financial statements issued by a registered auditor (â€Å"Business Setup in Qatar†, 2008). 1.1.4. Companies Law and requirements for setting up LLC The different types of companies in Qatar are ordained by the Companies Law (Commercial Companies Law no. 11 of 1981 (Dew, Shoult and Wallace, 2002). Partners establishing an LLC are required to sign and submit, in Arabic, the Memorandum and Articles of Association to Qatar’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce (Wolters Kluwer TAA, 2013). The name of the company has to be approved by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce in Doha and the minimum stipulated capital also has to be deposited at a bank in Qatar (â€Å"Business Setup in Qatar†, 2008). 2. Qatari Laws on LLCs 2.1. Ownership Interest of Shareholders in an LLC As per